Noisy Deadlines

“I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” – Douglas Adams

  • 📝 I’m participating in Blaugust! And I create a page on my notebook to track my writing. I’ll share that in a different post soon.
  • 📕 I abandoned a book I was reading for my local Book Club. It’s called “Amberlough” by Lara Elena Donnelly. I read up to 19%, which is actually a lot! I always want to give a book a chance, but sometimes I wish I was more ruthless. I pushed through and now I feel bad that I used all that time to read a book I wasn’t enjoying. Anyway, I’m getting better at it. There was a time when I would finish a book just to put on a check mark, even though I was hating the experience.
  • 📘 On the other hand, I’m almost done with the last book of The Expanse series “Leviathan Falls” by James S.A. Corey. I love this series, and I don’t want it to end!
  • 🎭 My energy levels have been a bit up and down these past few days. I don’t sleep well overall during Summer, and I can’t wait for Fall to arrive! It’s my favorite season.
  • 👟 At least walking and running have been consistent this month. I went for a run three times and walked at least every other day.
  • I was searching for a grammar checker tool and I found this open-source one called Harper. Pretty good without being annoying. I added to my browser.
  • 🎬 I watched two movies: “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” and “Masters of the Universe”. The first is just 100% cuteness. The second is funny in this meta sort of way, and since I grew up watching the cartoons, it got me for nostalgia reasons. The plot is not great but it makes fun of itself, and that is what makes it watchable.

Post 04 of #Blaugust #weeknotes

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

I’ve been thinking about AI for a while now, since I am increasingly being surrounded by AI tools at work, with Microsoft adding a Copilot button everywhere I look. But that’s a topic for another time.

What inspired me to write here was the recent controversy within the Blaugust community about the use of AI-generated images and text. And I knew about this controversy after reading Andreas’ post: Are we becoming too paranoid about AI slop? And then the contribution to the topic by Joel: Not paranoid, but respectful.

I read the Blaugust Statement “Use of AI as a Blaugust Participant” and I found it made total sense, allowing AI assistance but not using it to substantially generate text. I believe most bloggers cherish the writing craft: having an idea, a thought, an emotion and putting it all into words for other human beings to read.

I occasionally will use AI to “proofread” a text that I wrote to catch grammar and vocabulary mistakes, since English is not my native language. Other than that, I avoid using AI chatbots. I don’t like chatting with them. And that’s just me, I think the systemic harms these tools are causing to our society greatly outweigh the benefits right now.

It seems the real Blaugust controversy was about the use of generative AI images. The Blaugust Statement actually accepts the use of some AI-generated images:

An AI-generated image accompanying a human-written article is acceptable; a post whose only substantive creative element is an AI-generated image would not meet the spirit of the event.

And that’s okay, since the main work is focused on the text, not on the image itself.

Now some strong opinions.

As of today, I don’t consider that AI-generated images with the use of prompts are human art. Or craftsmanship. Or anything that can be considered art by human standards. There is no soul behind it; there is no human brain that made big or small deliberate choices to craft that image. It’s like using a slot machine to randomly generate something. Can that be considered an artistic choice?

Maybe these artifacts will become something different in the future, but today I feel that AI-generated content, be it image or text, is slop. I don’t like it when I see it; I can recognize this uncanny feel to it, and I basically avoid it at all costs.

And that’s just my personal stand at the moment. I have the power to choose what I consume online, and I just stay away from places or services that “serve” this type of content.

—

Note: I didn’t have time to proofread this with an AI tool before posting, so all mistakes are my own.

Post 03 of #Blaugust #NoisyMusings #AI

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

  • ✒️ I’ve been using a Bullet Journal for 2 months now. I’m starting to get a feel for what works for me, and I realized I don’t miss most of the digital tools I was using before. I still use a digital calendar, email and Standard Notes, but I’ve been very satisfied having my to-dos in analog form.
  • 📘 I started reading the last book of The Expanse series, “Leviathan Falls” by James S.A. Corey. I love to have these beloved series to get back to, and I might be unconsciously taking longer to read it because I don’t want it to end?! 🫣
  • 📕 Another series I’m almost done is The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold. I finished “Captain Vorpatril's Alliance” and I can’t wait to go to the next book.
  • 🥳 I am now closer to being 50 years old than 45 years old, somewhere in between. And I feel great about it, no regrets.
  • 🔎 I started doing the weekly Word Search and Sudoku that comes in a free weekly flyer with local store sales in my neighbourhood. It’s been ages since I’ve done any of these, and I am enjoying the experience. I love that the section on the flyer is called “Your Moment of Zen”. Anyway, I rediscovered Sudoku, and I heard about this thing called Murdoku that I now want to explore!
  • 🎬 I went to see “The Odyssey” by Christopher Nolan in a regular IMAX cinema. I haven’t been to the movies since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, so that was interesting. The movie is great; it was more gory and bloody than I was expecting, but I enjoyed the narrative choices and the excellent sound design.
  • 🤘 I discovered a new metal band! And by new, I mean really new: they have released only 2 albums so far. The band is called Castle Rat, led by a woman, with a sound clearly inspired by early doom metal and Black Sabbath. Also, they use this over-the-top medieval fantasy 80’s aesthetic that is retro and quirky and amazing.
  • 📝 I decided to join the Blaugust Festival of Blogging !! My first post is here.
  • 📺 I’ve been enjoying the series Connections by James Burke on Curiosity Stream.

Post 02 of #Blaugust #weeknotes

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

Andreas from 82Mhz just published he is joining #Blaugust 2026. I remember I joined in 2024 and it was a fun way to keep blogging. I had an introduction post back then, and although most of it is still current, I will do a quick update here:

  • I still work in construction as an estimator, and I am now considered a senior estimator in my team.
  • I still love reading, and it is my main hobby, as attested by the posts on this blog. I am very much a sci-fi and fantasy reader, but I’ve been distancing myself from anything too dark or grim. I balance my reading with some fluffly romances sometimes. I’ve been better at dumping a book when it’s not working for me.
  • Still an introvert and cherishing quiet time and actitivites that bring me calm: running, walking, reading, journaling, meditating and listening to music.
  • I’ve started Bullet Journaling recently and it has been a big change for me. I plan on writing more about this experience. I am becoming more and more inclined to use paper and take notes by hand (I’m actually drafting this post by hand right now).
  • I haven’t been playing a lot of video games lately, most of the time I will just prefer to sit down with a book. But I want to get back to some of the games I’ve started.

So for the 2026 Blaugust I want to go for the Silver Award with 15 posts in August.

I’ve been wishing to write and publish more frequently on this blog, so Blaugust is a great accountability tool to me keep me going.

Some Blaugust references I came across that inspired me to join:

Edit: more participating bloggers that I saw who joined:

Post 01 of #Blaugust #blogging

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

  1. Hyperfocus: The New Science of Attention, Productivity, and Creativity by Chris Bailey, 256p: Great read about focus with enough scientific data and practical insights. The author talks about “attentional space”, which is like our RAM or the available working memory capacity. He argues that because the amount of distraction machines we have available at our fingertips right now, our attentional space shrinks and our minds wander less, reducing the quality of our attention. The author explores “hyperfocus”, which is deep, intense focus on an activity, versus “scatterfocus” which is mind wandering. Both of these modes are important and there are nice diagrams to help understand the concepts.

  2. Captain Vorpatril's Alliance (Vorkosigan Saga (Publication Order)) #15 by Lois McMaster Bujold, 580p: This time a fun adventure with Miles' cousin: Ivan Vorpatril. It's the Ivan book! It is packed with action and Ivan getting caught in hilarious situations. Miles and Ekaterin make some appearances, but we also see Simon, Alys, Gregor and even Cordelia in some scenes. There is mystery, a fake marriage situation, family secrets and failed engineering with sinking consequences. Tej's family had an interesting mafia vibe without malice, just pure family loyalty and eccentric choices. Overall a funny and lighthearted book, which matches Ivan's eternal optimism.

  3. Children of Strife (Children of Time #4) by Adrian Tchaikovsky, 496p: I didn't find this book as enjoyable as the previous ones in the series. The pacing was off, with these three different timelines alternating. Some chapters felt repetitive, telling the same story already covered in previous books. The First Age chapters with the human terraformers was by far my least favorite timeline. The Second Age with the ark ship was so-so. The only timeline I was invested in was the Third Age with the excellent mantis-shrimp hero called Cato. I missed seeing the octopuses and the corvids. 

#readinglist #books #reading

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

  • This is more like “month” notes rather than “week” notes, but here they are!
  • The last week of June was quite busy at work with a big tender closing that sucked out all of my energy.
  • 🎢 Thankfully, after that job was closed I had a 3-day weekend and my partner and I went to Montreal for an event at La Ronde. It’s the second largest amusement park in Canada, located on Jean Drapeau Island. The last time I had been on a rollercoaster I was a teenager, I think, and I remember being terrified by them. This was a great opportunity to conquer my fear. I was impressed! The location is gorgeous and you get these amazing views from the top of any ride you choose. It was the first time I went on rollercoaster rides with my partner, and I discovered that he LOVES this s*hit. He was like a lost boy in a candy store with infinite money. The best part was that it was a private event (sponsored by my partner’s employer to celebrate the company’s anniversary), so the whole park was closed just for us! We could go on any ride, anytime, with no lines. I am spoiled now. I’m definitely not afraid of rollercoasters anymore. I had lots of fun!
  • 📔 I’ve been using my paper notebook every day now. I’ve been enjoying starting a daily log, adding entries for next actions, notes and thoughts. I still have a projects list and someday/maybe list. But because the Bullet Journal system organizes things by day, week, month and a future log, this is giving me a time dimension that I was lacking before. It gives me a better sense of time and a realistic view of how much I can really accomplish.
  • 🌲 I had a second long weekend and this time we went to Camp Fortune to do the Peak to Peak Ziplines: 3 ziplines, one 50 ft drop tower in a 1.5 hour tour. Gorgeous views of the Gatineau Park! We also did the Mountain Coaster which was fun.
  • 📺 I’ve been enjoying the video series “Tom Scott: England” on Nebula.
  • 🎵 Polyphonic is doing a series of videos about drugs, music and culture on Nebula. I watched “A Cultural History of LSD”. Recommended!
  • 🗞️ Long article if you are interested in the impacts of reading (or not reading) in our current media-rich disctracting environment: “The End of Reading Is Here” by Rose Horowitch at The Atlantic. We readers are part of a subculture now, apparently.

#weeknotes

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

Introduce yourself with five albums that have shaped you:

  1. Pink Floyd – The Wall (1979)

  2. Metallica – Master of Puppets (1986)

  3. Iron Maiden – Powerslave (1984)

  4. Rhapsody of Fire – Symphony of Enchanted Lands (1998)

  5. Angra – Angels Cry (1993)

I read this on Cafélog from Thomas, who read it from Martin and I immediately started thinking about which albums I would choose.

It was tough to narrow it down to five, but I went with my first instinct. These are all albums I listened to countless times, from start to finish, during my most formative years.

#music #heavymetal #NoisyMusings

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

  1. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, 321p: I had fun reading this book. I've heard of it before. I knew it was a classic from Canadian literature. I had the chance to visit Prince Edward Island, so I decided that the trip was the perfect moment to read this book. The protagonist, Anne, is the joy of the book. She is always looking at the bright side of things, she inspires courage and joy. And she is such a relentless creative soul. I loved her vivid imagination and her curiosity. Overall, I was glad I spent some time with Anne and her friends, it was a comforting read that brought the landscapes of Prince Edward Island to life right before my eyes.

  2. Shady Hollow (A Shady Hollow Mystery #1 ) by Juneau Black, 208p: I enjoyed most of this book, I thought it was cozy and interesting at the beginning. I began to lose interest past halfway through because the resolution to the mystery seemed very obvious to me. It's cute, but at some moments I had difficulty suspending my disbelief with the anthropomorphic animals. It didn't grab me enough for me to continue the series.

  3. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1) by Becky Chambers, 404p: I re-read this one for my local Book Club. I first read it back in 2017, and I remember I was far too harsh on this book. This time around I enjoyed it more because I am in a place right now where I can appreciate cozy, lower stakes stories. It is really low stakes, there are some tense moments, but conflicts are easily resolved, and you get back to just hanging out with this found family spaceship crew. It reminded me a lot of The Expanse series, but without the whole complex world building and political shenanigans. I could not stop visualizing the Wayfarer’s captain, Ashby, as James Holden. The book's positive points still hold up beautifully: diverse characters representing different sentient species with all types of biologies and cultures, interesting discussions on different types of relationships, and exploration of Artificial Intelligence rights and sentience. It actually works well as a comforting, character-driven space opera.

#readinglist #books #reading

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

  • 📆 End of May went by as a blur for me. I had a busy month at work and I really didn't log into my personal computer that much in my off hours. In general, that has been the trend for me: spending less time with and within the digital world.

  • ✈️ Right in the middle of a super busy week I left on vacations to attend a CIQS Congress and spend some time in Prince Edward Island. The Congress lasted for 2 and a half days, and I extended my stay at Charlottetown for roughly a week.

  • ⛵ It was great to disconnect from everything. PEI is such a picturesque and charming place. It's quiet, and peaceful and beautiful. I was inspired to take long walks along the shoreline, watching sailboats go by. I stopped at coffee shops to enjoy great food and read. I wandered around town discovering hidden pieces of history and admiring colourful buildings. Charlottetown has so much history!

  • 📔 On the first day I was there, I stumbled upon this nice bookstore that had all sorts of gorgeous notebooks and pens. I got inspired to get a bound notebook, so that I could take notes while I was in PEI. It was a Leuchtturm1917 size B6+, dotted. I got it and I immediately inspired to start a Bullet Journal. I have been thinking about moving to paper to manage actions and projects for a while now. And since I was on vacations, I decided to give it a try.

  • 🖊️ So, I've been bullet journaling for a couple of weeks now, and I've been enjoying the experience. For some reason, looking at a task list on the computer or on my phone is not as satisfying, and honestly, it often feels more like a source of anxiety than a tool for productivity. I'm doing this paper experiment for now and it's been interesting.

  • 📖 While I was there, I read “Anne of Green Gables” by L.M. Montgomery. It's a Canadian Literature classic from 1908. It's such a lovely book!

  • 🖼️ I visited the Anne of Green Gables Museum at Cavendish! It was raining the day I went there, so I didn't do the trails, but I will come back some day and walk those trails.

  • 🎽 I did the Run for Women – 10K!

  • 🦞 I attended a Lobsterfest, even though I don't like lobster! 🤭

#weeknotes

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

  1. Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky, 373p: I love an unemotional robot protagonist with an active inner monologue and strong critical-thinking skills, so this was a fun and engaging read for me. I thought it had the same snarky sense of humour found in the “Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams. It's dystopian and explores the idea of what might happen if humanity destroys the environment to the point where mostly machines and robots are left behind. The book satirizes capitalism, bureaucracy, artificial intelligence and the pursuit of efficiency, while also dealing with questions of free will and existence. It was highly entertaining, both in terms of plot wise and writing style.

  2. The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (Mackenzies & McBrides #1) by Jennifer Ashley, 320p: This is a unique historical romance book, because it depicts a neurodivergent male protagonist (Ian),  a widowed independent female protagonist (Beth) and a suspenseful murder mystery. It highlights how neurodivergent people were deeply misunderstood by society in the 19th century. I loved that both protagonists are rebellious and refuse to conform to society's expectations. They pursue what makes them happy while navigating a dark and challenging reality.

  3. The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower by Morra Aarons-Mele, 232p: I read this book slowly. It was an interesting read, although it felt repetitive at times. It offers some good advice for people with anxiety who work in high-demand positions and are leaders. I got some good ideas from it, and it helped me realize that I'm not alone. It also reinforced that it's possible to become a good leader without being extroverted, even if you have some anxiety-related traits.

  4. Murder by Memory (Dorothy Gentleman #1) by Olivia Waite, 103p: This was a quick read with a cozy mystery set inside a spaceship. I loved that the main protagonist, Dorothy Gentleman, is a sweet and smart older woman, who is also a detective. The writing is sharp and engaging. It almost feels too lighthearted at times and I found some of the solutions came a little too easily. The resolution of the murder mystery was not as interesting as I had hoped it would be. Overall, though, it was a fun and enjoyable read.

#readinglist #books #reading

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By Noisy Deadlines Minimalist in progress, nerdy, introvert, skeptic. I don't leave without my e-reader.

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